Midsummer Madness
by Trish
Summary: Summer, Fairies, Spells and AAMRN mayhem. A lighthearted and slightly insane fic. Mewberries this is for you...
1. Mischief Thou Art Afoot

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Midsummer Madness

By Trish.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon (unfortunately). I don't own the character of Puck - he belongs to "_A Midsummer Night's Dream_" by William Shakespeare. Throughout this story will be many quotes from Shakespeare - which I do not own either. I do own the rights to this story. No profit is being made.

_A/N_ Any dialogue which is in quotation marks and italics eg, "_pikachu" _is the Pokémon's speech in English. **A word of** **warning** - you MUST read the whole thing in order - otherwise it will not make sense. This is a light-hearted fic in which I really mess with the characters. A fluffy, slightly loopy fic with AAMRN and much more….

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Chapter 1: Mischief, thou art afoot!

Night time. The forest was quiet and still, except for the soft calls of a few Hoot Hoots now and then. The light from the moon pierced here and there through the thick leafy canopy. In one small clearing among the ferns, a few Rattata were engaged in a game of hide and seek when a small pinprick of light appeared, filling the forest with an incandescent glow. The Pokémon stopped and stared as the light grew into a small sphere and brightened. When it was at its brightest, a minute object fell from its midst and dropped onto the large fern beneath. The light winked out just as quickly as it had come.

The object stirred and stretched into the tiny figure of a dark haired young man dressed in a beige shirt and pants. Puck checked himself over, and satisfied that everything was in working order, he fluttered his delicate wings, rising into the air to check out his surroundings. But no sooner was he in the air when the sprite dropped like a stone back onto the fern he had just left, not believing what he saw. He saw large rats staring at him. Not just any large rats, but large _purple _rats at that. Puck knew that rats were not supposed to be purple, at least not in the world where he came from.

He bowed his head - he was lost in another world, a world he knew nothing about except that it had large purple rats. _Just my luck_, he groaned to himself. One minute he was playing around with spells with his cousin, the next minute, bang, here he was. He must have messed the spell up somehow. Which was not unusual for him, Puck thought bitterly. He remembered the time Oberon ordered him to play matchmaker between two couples - Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius. He was to use the potion that came from the Love-In-Idleness flower. He got them matched up all right - to the _wrong _partner. After many trials and tribulations, he managed to fix things up. Oh well, might as well find out where he was…

He flew down to one of the Rattata. "Excuse me, good creature. What world is this?"

The Rattata looked at him. "_You're not from around here, are ya? This is the Pokémon world."_

"Pokémon?"

"_Yup. And we Rattata are just one of the many species of Pokémon. Creatures which humans can carry in little balls in their pockets."_

"How did it happen to be this way?"

The Rattata shrugged. "_I dunno. It just happens to be like this. Always has and always will, I guess." _He eyed the little fairy again. "_Say, if you're not doing anything, I can show you around if ya like?"_

Puck considered the offer. He could easily go back home via magic; but being of a curious nature, he wanted to explore this new world further. Something the Rattata said came back to his mind and pricked his interest. Humans existed in this world too….why not have some fun along the way? There was nothing Puck loved more than playing tricks on the mortals, believing all to be foolish and stupid. "That is very kind of you, good rat. I will accept your invitation."

"_No problem. What's your name?"_

"Puck."

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"Nice to meet ya. My name is….um…oh just call me Ratty."

"Nice to meet you too, Ratty."

"_So, where d'ya wanna go first?"_

"Could you take me to where the humans are?"

"_Sure. But what for?"_

Puck smiled mischievously. "You'll see. You'll see."

An hour later they were standing at the edge of a very large town. "_This is Pallet Town," _Ratty informed his companion. "_I'll show you where a cousin of mine lives with his trainer."_

"Your cousin was captured?"

"_Yeah. But he was lucky. His trainer is very good and a nice guy too."_

The creature led him to a large house on the outskirts of town. _"This is the place."_

They entered the garden, and Ratty led Puck up to a small building at the back where he jumped onto the window ledge and tapped three times on the glass. A few minutes later, another Rattata appeared through a small doggy door. "_How you doing cousin?"_

"_Fine, thanks."_ The newcomer noticed Puck. "_Who's this?"_

"_His name is Puck, and he's lost. I'm just showing him around."_ Ratty then turned to Puck. "_So what are you going to do, now that you're here?"_

"I'm going to have some fun. Play a few tricks with all the humans here."

Ratty's cousin looked rather nervous. "_You're not going to do anything **too** bad are you?"_ Puck noticed that Ratty was nervous as well.

"Why not?"

"_Well, you see, my trainer is rather special and very important to all Pokémon. He is known as 'The Chosen One'. He's already saved the world once - and I'd rather not have anything bad happen to him. Plus he's my friend and the nicest guy I know. The same goes for the rest of the household."_

Puck saw the sincerity in the Rattata's eyes and nodded. "Okay, I promise I won't do anything that bad to him. But you'll have to come with me and point him out."

The cousin nodded. "_Follow me"_ it ordered and led the sprite through another doggy door into the main house. The Pokémon scurried up some stairs to the second floor and stopped outside a partially opened door before slipping inside. Puck had no problems seeing inside the room, having excellent night vision. A young man in his mid twenties lay asleep in the bed, his short black hair contrasting sharply with the whiteness of the pillow. The only other occupant in the room was a tiny yellow mouse which slept in a small doll's bed placed at the foot of the big bed.

"_This is my trainer, Ash Ketchum - Pokémon Grand Master and The Chosen One. The Pokémon there is his first and strongest one - Pikachu. She's one of the reasons why you shouldn't mess around too much with Ash. If anything bad happens to him, you'll have to answer to **her**. Believe me when I tell you that she can shock the living daylights out of anything." _

Ratty's cousin then took him on a tour of the other bedrooms, pointing out Ash's mother Delia, and his best friends Misty and Brock. At the conclusion, the Pokémon left Puck alone and went off to wait with his cousin outside. Puck flew into the room where Misty lay asleep. He remembered what the Pokémon had told him, that she was in love with Ash, but too afraid to admit it. _So, why don't I just help things along a bit, _he thought. He hovered close to the sleeping girl's head, and admired the luxurious long red hair that flowed from her head. "Maiden of Water, with hair of Fire. May this spell give you what your heart desires. Let every wish of yours be fulfilled. Everyone shall do what you have willed." When he finished the incantation, he held out his hand and sparkles shot forth and surrounded the girl before disappearing. 

He then flew into the next room, grinning when he saw Brock sprawled across the bed. The breeder, he knew, had a miserable record when it came to girls, always being rejected, especially when it came to his favourite women Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. Puck was going to fix that - he decided that Brock needed to find someone who would have time for him. He noticed two framed photographs on the desk, and he could see one of them was of a female. _That'll do_, he decided, not bothering to check it out any further. He flew down to near Brock's head, "Master of Rock, with squinty eyes. The lady in the photo there is where your true love lies. Keep her image close to your heart. Vow to be with her until death do you part." He repeated the same procedure as he did with Misty.

The sprite yawned and stretched. He was tired and needed to go to bed - that was enough magic for tonight. He would come back in the morning, and play tricks on the two remaining humans - Ash and his mother. He flew out the open window and down to where the two Pokémon were waiting. Ratty bade farewell to his cousin and started to lead his guest back to the forest to sleep. Just before the house disappeared from his sight, Puck turned around and laughed out loud, "Oh Lord, What fools these mortals be!"

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To be continued…..

Author's Note: I know there's no romance in this chapter - but I'm just setting the scene. The real fun and games begin in the next chapter! If there are any would-be flamers out there - don't bother. It's summer in Oz and bushfire season - so any flames will be doused immediately in the interests of the environment. Or I shall feed you to the Tassie Devils at the zoo. They are nothing like the cartoon character - real nasty little critters.

I would just like to give a big round of applause to **Mewberries **and **Vickie211**. Mewberries was one of my very first reviewers and she has reviewed my stories ever since, bar one. Same with Vickie - plus she's been kind enough to preview all of them - plus listen to my rants and raves. Thanks Vickie - you're a real friend! Take a bow you two! ^_^


	2. All The World's My Stage

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Midsummer Madness

By Trish.

Disclaimer: I'd really like to say that I own Pokémon and Puck and the various Shakespearian quotes I toss in, but I don't. I do own this story.

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A/N: Ash - 24, Misty -24, Brock - 27. Prepare for major OOC here - but 'tis done for a reason ^_^

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Chapter 2: All the World's My Stage, And all the Men and Women merely players

Misty was struggling to get back to sleep. She had woken up from a restless slumber due to the hot summer night, with her sheets all entangled around her. Half an hour later, she was still wide awake, and sleep was unlikely to come anytime soon. She rolled over to switch the bedside lamp on, when there was a soft knock at the door. "Who is it?" she called softly. 

"It's me, Ash."

"Oh…you can come in if you want."

The door opened and her best friend entered, clad only in his boxers, which made Misty blush. She didn't know why she was blushing, after all, she had been travelling with him since they were ten. The sight of Ash in his boxers was nothing new to her. _But that was when you were kids_, her conscience reminded her, _now you're adults, and Ash has grown and matured so much._

Ash smiled as he sat beside her on the bed. "Can't get to sleep? Me neither." 

Misty struggled up to a sitting position beside him, her arm brushed against his, sending shivers down her spine. He smiled at her again, _oh, he looks **so **good, _she thought before averting her gaze in embarrassment. Oh why was she acting like this around him? She was interrupted in her thoughts by Ash gently raising her chin so that they were face to face, and before she could speak, he kissed her gently on the lips.

She froze for a moment before responding to his kiss. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with happiness. _Please don't let this be a dream_, she prayed silently. This was what she had been dreaming about for so many years, and now - it had finally happened. They broke apart to catch their breath before resuming, the passion rising with each passing minute.

They lay back on the bed, kissing intensely, limbs entwined. His hand moved to the strap of her chemise and…

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BZZZZZZZT. BZZZZZZZT. BZZZZZZZT.

Damn. Misty opened her eyes to see the Saturday morning sunshine streaming in through the gap in the curtains, the beeping alarm clock informing her that it was 9 o'clock. She was quite alone in the room except for a still sleeping Togetic. _So_, she thought sadly as she switched the alarm off, _it was just a dream after all. Again._

She rose from the bed, smoothing down the rumpled silk of her black chemise as she did so. She went over to her dresser and started to brush her long red tresses, her thoughts tumbling through her head. Why must she always be dreaming about Ash? She already knew the answer to that - she was in love with him, and had been ever since they had first met, fourteen years ago. Why hadn't she acted on it? She knew the answer to that one too - she was a chicken, that's why.

Misty was too chicken to find out what Ash's response would be to her revelation, too afraid that it might destroy their friendship. She would prefer to stay as friends rather than not have anything to do with him at all. Ash Ketchum was too special for her to lose from her life. She had never met anyone like him - he was unique. He was the biggest hearted person that she knew - always wanting to help those in need whether they were Pokémon or human.

Ash was one of the few people who she knew that _really_ loved Pokémon. He had a way with them that was unrivalled by anyone anywhere. He seemed to have a magic touch when it came to the creatures - all of his Pokémon loved him dearly and were fiercely loyal toward him. He was able to bring out the best in all of them and could rely on the fact that they would do anything and everything in their power - and more - to help him.

As a result, he was one of the most successful Pokémon Grand Masters ever, he had won the title six years ago - and was still undefeated. The Pokémon League, under his leadership, had never run smoother (despite Misty's initial scepticism). Ash had the world at his feet, he also(much to Misty's annoyance) had thousands of young women throwing themselves at him. He had always been regarded as cute when he was younger, and his looks had only improved as he grew older - he was now a tall, very handsome young man with a nicely muscular build, twinkling dark brown eyes and a warm smile. He was young, rich and famous - and to top it all off, he still managed to remain a real Mr. Nice Guy. Just the type of guy that girls would want to marry. Misty would too - if only Ash would start to look at her as not just his best friend. But then again, why would he? What did she have to offer him that would set her apart from all the others?

Misty studied herself in the full-length mirror. Gone was the scrawny but pretty ten year old tomboy. Instead there stood a twenty-four year old beautiful young woman with luxurious long hair that cascaded down past her shoulders. Her figure had filled out nicely with curves in all the right places. While she was no Miss Universe, she was considered to be a stunning beauty.

Career wise, she was doing pretty well. She was one of the top students in her final year class of the degree to become a Pokémon doctor, with a job awaiting her at the Pokémon Centre in Pallet. But in her opinion, that was not going to make her stand out from the crowds of girls surrounding Ash. To him, she was probably just his best friend that was always on his case and the mallet wielding source of almost all his headaches. _Why can't he see me as more than a friend? Why can't I tell him_?

Meanwhile in the next room, Ash had finished getting dressed, and was now brushing Pikachu's fur, smiling at the little mouse's chirps of contentment. "Looking good, Pikachu. It's no wonder that all these male Pikachu and Raichu are interested in you.'' 

Pikachu blushed at this statement. "_Ash!"_

Ash placed the brush down on the dresser, and stood in front of his tiny friend. "So, how do _I_ look?"

The mouse looked her trainer up and down. Ash's wardrobe had undergone a transformation in the last six years. There once was a time when he was content to go about in the same sort of outfit every day - black t-shirt, blue jeans, a blue jacket, green gloves, and his treasured official Pokémon League cap. But not any more. Gone were the gloves, and the hat was too battered to wear any more. Ash alternated between shirts and t-shirts, jeans and trousers, sports jackets and blazers. Today he was wearing a dark blue short sleeved shirt which showed off his muscular frame nicely, with black pants. His once wild black hair was now kept short and brushed. Pikachu smiled and gave her friend a thumbs up. "_Fantastic!"_

The Pokémon Master grinned, "Thanks, Pik. I promised Mom that I'd take her out for lunch at that new restaurant today."

"_You're gonna have all the single girls in the place looking at you."_

"That's nothing new," Ash sighed wearily. "I'm used to it. Now if only….."

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"Misty would look at you like that", Pikachu finished for him.

Ash stared at his first and favourite Pokémon. "You know me inside out, don't you?"

"_Sure do!"_ she said proudly. "_And you won't tell her because you're afraid of ruining the friendship that you have."_

"Exactly." Ash reached for his wallet and car keys. He closed his eyes and prayed, "God, if you're listening, please protect me from Misty's mallet."

"_I don't know why you bother saying that every day. It never works."_

"I know. But it doesn't hurt to try."

Unseen and unheard by Ash and Pikachu, Puck was sitting on the curtain rod, cushioned on one of the ruffles. He grinned and began chanting, "Young Master of Pallet, may this spell save you from your lady love's infamous mallet. Next time she's mad, just let her try. She'll be in for a big surprise." He watched as the sparkles landed on the young man, but the sprite wasn't finished yet. "Oh Chosen One, greatest of them all. The next few days I promise you'll have a ball. For nearly every female you have ever met. Will not be able to get enough of you for a long while yet." More sparkles shot forth and disappeared.

"Well, it's time we headed down for breakfast. Mom's boyfriend Steven said he'd meet us at the mall at 10:15 a.m to do some shopping, then go to lunch."

"_You're not going to go without me, are you?"_

Ash smiled. "The thought never even crossed my mind."

Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder. "_That's my Pikapi. I've trained you really well…"_

When they had left the room, Puck chuckled loudly and rubbed his hands with glee. "Let the fun and games begin" he announced.

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(Downstairs in the Kitchen)

Brock sat at the kitchen table rubbing his temples. He had the strangest dream last night. Something about how he would finally meet his one true love today. _I wonder if it is either Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny_, he mused. _If only it could be both….I can never decide between them_.

"Good Morning, Brock", a sweet and familiar female voice greeted him. Brock glanced up and his jaw dropped. Mrs. Ketchum stood in the doorway, looking very smart and feminine in a beautiful dusty rose dress with spaghetti straps. Her long chestnut hair was swept up in a French twist.

Brock could feel one of his 'pretty girl induced' goofiness phases starting. _She's so beautiful_, his dazed mind thought but then he managed to snap out of it. _Stop thinking that way, Brock. This is Mrs. Ketchum!_ He managed to get up from his chair to serve her breakfast, thankful for something to do. _Say something, you idiot_, his mind screamed. "Uh…you look wonderful, Mrs. K" he stammered. 

Delia smiled at him as she sat down. "Why thank you, Brock. Ash is taking me to lunch at the new restaurant in town, _Figaro_." As Brock set her plate down in front of her, he caught the sweet scent of her perfume which made his head spin. _Oh wow….._

"Morning Mom, Brock-o!" Luckily Ash and Pikachu walked in just then, saving Brock from himself. The three humans and Pokémon ate their breakfast in silence, mainly because Brock kept his head down and mouth shut, afraid of making a fool of himself in front of his best friend and his mother. The two gave up trying to talk to him after a while, and afterwards helped clear the table. 

"Mom, it's time we headed off now." Ash informed his mother as he fished the car keys out of his pocket.

"Okay, honey." Delia grabbed her purse and gave Brock a quick kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye, Brock. Thank you for a lovely breakfast." She left the room, leaving a stunned Brock just sitting there.

Ash grinned. "Bye Brock, and thanks for the feed. Say good morning from me to sleepy head when she finally comes down, will you?"

"Uh..sure."

When they had left, Brock made his way back to his room, collapsing on the neatly made bed. His mind was in turmoil, he couldn't understand his reactions upon seeing Mrs. Ketchum earlier in the morning. He had _never_ reacted that way before - after all he had known her for fourteen years now, and she was like a second mother to Misty, Tracey and himself. But that kiss…did something to him, even if it was just a friendly peck. It was as if the world had stopped right at that moment….

An internal argument began - between his mind and his heart. Why had he reacted like a love-sick fool when she came in all dressed up? It wasn't as if he had never seen Mrs. Ketchum like that - he had, plenty of times. _Maybe because you've never looked at her as a **woman** before. You've always seen her as just a mother figure,_ his heart told him. 

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Ah, yes. But don't forget that this **woman** is the **mother **of your best friend! Besides she's waaay too old for you, his mind countered with.

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Age shouldn't be a factor when two people love each other, the heart stated pompously.

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If it is a great big age difference it **does**, the mind shot back.

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So what! Just take a look at that photo of her on the desk, c'mon, the heart coaxed. Brock got up from the bed and sat down at the desk. The two framed photos had been taken last year at the Pokémon League Ball. One shot was of Ash and his mother, and the other was of Delia herself. Brock remembered last year's event, Misty had fallen ill the day before the Ball, and so Ash had escorted his mother instead. The breeder picked up Mrs. Ketchum's photo. His heart decided to pipe up again. _Don't ya think that she is the most beautiful woman you've ever seen? _

Delia Ketchum was _very very_ beautiful in that photo, Brock decided. But then again she had always been regarded as beautiful, ever since she was a little girl. She was also one of the lucky people who always kept their youthful looks, never looking the age they were supposed to be, as well being a person who could eat what they like - and still maintain a fabulous figure. Mrs. Ketchum wasn't _that _old, the breeder decided - Ash had said that she had married at nineteen, and he had been born the following year. He studied the photo again. Delia had worn a beautiful burgundy evening gown which had complemented her figure very well, her hair swept up in a loose bun. That night, many people had mistaken her for being Ash's older sister, rather than his mother. Brock put the photo down, just looking at it gave his heart palpitations.

He hadn't felt this intensely around any other girl or woman, even Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny. This was not just a mere crush, Brock decided. This was _true _love. It could and would work out, he just knew it. He was lonely, she was lonely - Ash's father had died when he was four. They both liked doing things around the house, and she obviously cared about him, she had kissed him on the cheek after all. _This_ was destiny. This was what the dream last night was telling him, that Delia Ketchum was the only woman for him. Brock slumped on the desk and gazed happily at the picture - at long last his search was over. The only problem might be Ash who was very close and protective of his mother, but Brock dismissed it quickly. Ash would have no problems with it - he was his best friend, and would only want him to be happy. Life was wonderful….

(_That afternoon…)_

Misty was immersed in a magazine when the front door opened, and Ash, Mrs. Ketchum and Pikachu staggered in. She glanced at the clock, 2 p.m. "Hi guys, have a nice lunch?" she greeted them.

"Absolutely wonderful," Mrs. Ketchum sighed. "The food was delicious! You must try it sometime." She excused herself and went to her room to change.

Ash plopped on the lounge opposite Misty and closed his eyes. She sneaked a good look at him. _He looks so hot_. After a minute or so, he reopened them. "Oh, Professor Oak rang while you were out," she informed him.

"Gee, he must have forgot that I was going to lunch. Probably something about the League business I'll be discussing with him this afternoon. I told him I'd be over at about 2:30. Was Tracey there?"

Misty tried to hide her disappointment at the news that Ash was going out again. "No, he wasn't. The Professor said he had gone to sketch some Pokémon in the woods outside of town. Then he started complaining to me about getting old, and how he wouldn't mind being young again."

Her friend chuckled. "Oh yeah. I've heard that from him many times."

Misty put down her magazine. "You know, I've always wondered what Professor Oak looked like as a child," she mused, " I wish we could see what he looks like as a little kid!"

Ash raised his eyebrows. "You would." He sat up with an effort, Pikachu remained snuggled against his leg. "So what time did you finally come downstairs?"

"Ten o'clock. I wanted to get a full beauty sleep", Misty said in self defence. She was always the last one up.

"Well, it didn't work in your case," the dark haired Pokémon trainer said with a wicked smile.

Misty was furious. "WHY YOU LITTLE….," and without further ado, she pulled out a huge mallet , ready to knock him into the ground.

Ash cringed. _Oh, great going Ketchum! I hope you've got the aspirin ready,_ he scolded himself, and prepared to meet his doom. Misty swung the mallet and…..

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SQUEAK!

The mallet bounced off his head, leaving the young man unhurt. The two trainers stared at each other, then at the mallet. "That wasn't supposed to happen," Misty muttered, and swung again. _Squeak_! Same result. She tried again only to have a repeat performance. She realised in horror that her mallet was useless - even though it felt and weighed like a real wooden mallet, it reacted like one of those squeaky plastic mallets that you gave toddlers.

Ash jumped up ecstatic, and screamed, "YES! THERE _IS_ A GOD! THANK YOU _SO _MUCH!" 

Misty stared at him like he'd grown two heads. "Are you okay?"

He scooped Pikachu up into his arms, grinning like a maniac. "I'm fine, just fine. I couldn't be happier. Now that you can't hit me!"

The red head scowled at him, and picked up the nearest book and threw it at his head. Ash ducking just in time, the book landing on the floor with a thud. Ash stuck his tongue out at the water trainer. "Hah! You missed!"

Misty stamped her foot in frustration. "Aaargh! You are just so childish! I wish you had more culture and refinement," she yelled.

The Pokémon Master's only response was to laugh even louder as he sped out the door. Misty slumped back into the armchair. He was just _so _frustrating, so immature and….so infuriatingly nice and cute. Which was why she loved him. She really needed to control her temper more, otherwise he'd never fall in love with her. Up in the corner of the ceiling, a little sprite smiled.

Out on the road, Ash was still chuckling. "See, Pikachu. I told you that prayer would work one day!"

Pikachu nodded. "_I guess it did. But how on earth did it happen?"_

Her master shrugged. "Who knows, and who really cares? The only thing that matters is that I'm safe from her mallets."

They had just passed the gate at the Oak Laboratories, when Ash heard someone call his name. He turned to see another of his best friends, Tracey Sketchit rushing towards him from the fields. "Hey, Ash!" the Pokémon Watcher hollered again, before he reached him. They slapped each other on the back. "Hey man, how are ya?"

Ash smiled. "I've never been better. For some reason, Misty can't use her mallets on me any more."

Tracey's eyes widened. "Wow, how did _that _happen."

"I have no idea. Let's go find the Professor."

The two men walked up to the lab and through the front door which was left open. Fifteen minutes later, they still had seen no sign of the world renowned researcher. They had looked in all the usual places where he was often to be found, but no luck. Ash walked into the living room to find a little brown haired boy playing with some Pokéballs. Ash looked at the boy and gasped. The child was wearing a red t-shirt and beige shorts, but what was the most striking thing about him, was that he was wearing, or trying to wear, an adult's lab coat which looked cute but rather ridiculous. Ash had the strangest feeling about this boy…

He knelt down in front of the child. "Hello."

The boy looked up and smiled. "Hello. I'm gonna be a 'fessor when I'm big."

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I've got a bad feeling about this, Ash thought to himself. He hesitated before asking the next question. "What's your name, little boy?"

The child held out his hand, "My name's Sammy. Sammy Oak."

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To be continued….

Author's Note: Aren't I evil? ^_^ . Told you I'd mess with the characters! Mrs. Ketchum & Brock - hmm - don't be offended peoples - it's all in good fun. I really do like Brock, really I do. But it would have been too predictable to make him fall for Misty. The romantic triangle between A, M & B has already been done a few times! Pairing him with either Joy or Jenny wouldn't be any fun. I don't think Ash's mom and Brock should be an actual couple - the age difference is too great (I don't think Ash would be too thrilled either). What **would** you call that anyway? Kitchenshipping? Houseshipping? Flamers will be fed to the Sumatran tigers at the zoo.


	3. A Little Touch of Ashy in the Night

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Midsummer Madness

By Trish.

Disclaimer: Pokémon I own not, nor anything by William Shakespeare either. Calliope and this story are mine.

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A/N: You must read the other parts in order to understand this. Everyone is **still **majorly OOC. Let the madness continue….

Chapter 3 A little touch of Ashy in the night…

Delia hummed a little tune as she came downstairs. Life was treating her very well at the moment. She had a nice lunch with her only son and her boyfriend of two years, Steven Taylor. Things were getting very serious with Steve, in the last few months they had been discussing the subject of marriage. Delia had suggested going out to lunch with Ash in order to find out how her only son would feel about her re-marriage. She need not have worried, not long after she had started dating Steven, she had introduced him to Ash - and the two hit it off right from the start, getting along like a house on fire. Since then, Ash had come to regard Steve as a father figure, often discussing any problems he might have with him. Both he and Pikachu were delighted when they told them - he had no problems with it. The most important thing was that his mother was happy, which made him happy. The only condition being that when they finally do decide to tie the knot, that he would be the one to walk his mother down the aisle. Delia smiled to herself, she always knew that she had the most wonderful son in the world. The only thing which rather spoilt a perfect day, was that Steve had to leave this afternoon on a two week business trip.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" 

She looked up to see Brock standing before her. "Oh, yes please, Brock." She followed him out to the kitchen to see Misty already sitting at the table. She was pleasantly surprised when Brock pulled the chair out for her, before handing her the cup of tea. 

Misty blinked. "How come you didn't do that for me?" Brock just ignored her to sit opposite Delia, who smiled at him. The two women chatted away until Mrs. Ketchum noticed that Brock was staring at her with a goofy look on his face.

"Brock, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face, or in my hair?" she asked, rather uncomfortable with the intense scrutiny.

The young man shook his head. "Oh no, there's nothing wrong with _you_. I was just losing myself in gazing at your perfection," he gushed.

Misty's mouth dropped while Delia blushed. "Why..thank you, Brock," she stammered, then rose from the table rather flustered. "Excuse me, I …just remembered something I have to do," and sped out of the room. 

The two young people stared at her retreating figure, then Misty spoke up. "Brock, what was _that_ all about?"

Brock shrugged, "I just gave her a compliment, that's all. Maybe she's feeling a little faint." Inside his heart was celebrating, _Yup, she's faint from the realisation that she loves me, and only me. Time to make my move.._ "I think I should go check on her, just to see if she's okay." His friend nodded and he went off in search of his lady love. _But first I need to get something…_

Delia sank gratefully onto the garden bench in the backyard. She had rushed out here to get some fresh air and to escape from Brock. He was really making her nervous with his strange behaviour today. The way he stared, it was like he was head over heels in love with her. He had never acted that way towards her before, she always thought he just saw her as a second mother. Delia hoped that Ash wouldn't be too long at the Professor's, perhaps her son could talk some sense into his best friend. Otherwise….

"I brought these for you, Delia." She looked up to see Brock standing there with a bouquet of red roses.

"Uh…Thank you. They're very beautiful, " she took the flowers reluctantly.

Brock was next to her in a flash and grasped her free hand. "Nothing could be as beautiful as you are," he said in a goofy voice.

Delia tried to free her hand, but his grip was too firm. "Brock, I think we need to talk, I….," she started.

Brock interrupted her, "I know what you're going to say - You love me! I just knew it! Well, I love you with all my heart, Delia!" His voice was filled with joy. "Will you marry me?"

__

Eeep, she thought. Why did this have to happen to her?

(_The Oak Laboratories)_

Ash and Pikachu stared at Sammy Oak - _this_ was the Professor? How on earth did this happen? They were interrupted by Tracey bursting into the room.

"Hey, Ash! Have you found…", he stopped when he saw the little boy with him. "Who's the kid?"

Ash rose to his feet. "That kid _is_ the Professor," he said dryly.

"You've got to be kidding!"

Ash shook his head. "Nope, wish I was." He turned to the boy, "Could you please tell my friend your name?"

The child trotted up to Tracey's feet and stuck out his hand. "My name's Sammy Oak, and I'm gonna be a 'Fessor," he greeted the older man. 

Tracey's eyes nearly popped out. "Oh no…" he said in disbelief.

"My sentiments exactly." Ash knelt down again next to Sammy. "Sammy, how old are you?"

"Four."

The two men sat down on the lounge and watched as the "Professor" played with Pikachu. Tracey broke the silence, "So what happened here?"

His best friend shrugged, "Beats me. But the most important thing right now is, what are we gonna do with _him_?"

The Watcher looked at the playing child. "Well, I can look after the lab - but I have no idea how to look after a little kid."

"Gary's still away - and he won't be back for another two days, " Ash informed him. "So I guess I'll have to take him home with me. Mom can help look after him."

"Think she'll mind?"

"She won't. Besides, she knows how to look after a four year old better than you and me."

A few minutes later, the four were headed for Ash's home, Tracey having been asked for dinner. Along the way Ash filled his friend in on the situation with his mother and her boyfriend.

Tracey was pleased. "So, are you gonna change your surname when they get married?"

The Pokémon Master shook his head, "No, I won't. I'll stay as I am - though Steve's surname will come in handy if I want to go around incognito. Besides it just doesn't feel right for me to change it. After all, it is my dad's surname and the one I was born with. I'm Dad's only child - and I can best keep his memory alive by carrying on the family name." He paused for a moment, "What was it that Shakespeare wrote? 'This above all: to thine own self be true. And it must follow, as the night the day. Thou canst not then be false to any man."

Tracey and Pikachu stopped dead in their tracks and stared at Ash. "Where did _that_ come from?" Tracey inquired

__

"Yeah, since when did **you** start quoting **Shakespeare**?" Pikachu agreed from her perch on his shoulder.

Ash glared at them. "Oh, are you two saying that Ash Ketchum and Shakespeare don't mix? Or are you implying that I'm too dumb to read or memorise it?"

Tracey waved his hands in a non threatening manner. "Oh, no, it's not that! You can quote whoever you like," he said hastily.

"_It's just that you've never done this before," _Pikachu added. "_Even though I know you've always been interested in Shakespeare 'coz your dad was."_

They resumed walking, but they had not gone too far when someone called Ash's name. They turned around to see a pretty young woman with long purple hair covered by a baseball cap, coming towards him. When she released a Chikorita, Ash realised that the girl was none other than Kasey, his friend who was an avid Electabuzz baseball fan. The Plant Pokémon charged up to him and rubbed against his leg. He bent down and gave the friendly creature a pat on the head, before rising to greet the girl. "Hi Kasey. What are you doing in Pallet?"

Kasey smiled. "I'm here to see _you_, Ash." She eyed him up and down. "Oh boy, you look _so _hot!"

Ash turned an interesting shade of red, while Pikachu just giggled.

"Are you still single? If you are, I'm free…", Kasey winked at him. "I promise you won't strike out with me!"

"Er…nice to see you too, Kasey," Ash murmured rather hurriedly. "But I really have to go now," and he started off once more for home.

"I'll be around if you need me!" she hollered as she waved goodbye.

By the time they reached home, Tracey and Pikachu had a fit of the giggles. After they had left Kasey, they had run into another of Ash's old friends, Duplica. She was in town for the same reason - to see Ashy boy, and by the way was he still single?

Ash sagged against his fence. "Oh boy, what an afternoon this has been," he moaned.

Tracey grinned. "It sure has, the Professor is a kid again and…"

"_Ashy Boy here is now hot stuff. My, what a harem you have! What will Misty say about this?"_ Pikachu butted in with a smirk.

''PIKACHU! What on earth does Misty have to do with this?" 

"_Everything. She is the woman of your dreams, right? So since you are now a real stud, why don't you use this new found charm on her?"_

Ash was beet red. "Oh, shut up!"

His tiny electric mouse smirked and little sparks came from her cheeks. "_Make me."_

Her trainer raised his hands in mock surrender. "Good point. You win." 

As soon as they entered the house, Delia Ketchum rushed to embrace her son. "Ash, sweetie! Thank goodness you're home!". His mother then noticed the little boy who was wearing a lab coat and holding onto her son's hand. "Who's this little boy, honey?"

"I'm 'Fessor Sammy Oak," the child piped up. Delia stared, then turned to the two young men. 

"Did he….say his name was…Sam Oak?," she whispered.

"Yeah, he did, Mrs. K," Tracey replied. "That's the Professor."

Ash caught his mother just as she fainted. "Oh great," he groaned, "Trace, could you keep an eye on Sammy while I get Mom to her room?"

When he came downstairs, Tracey was in the living room with Sammy, Misty and Brock. "Hi guys," he greeted as he collapsed onto the sofa. He waved a hand towards Sammy; "Mist, Brock, I'd like to introduce you to Professor Samuel Oak, age 4. Don't ask me what happened or why, Tracey and I found him like this. So until we can work out what has happened, he is staying here. Mom fainted when she found out who he was."

An hour later they were all (with the exception of Mrs. Ketchum) eating the dinner that was whipped up by Brock. Ash had just put another fork full of food in his mouth when his breeder friend spoke up. "Ash, I've got some news for you. I want to marry your mother." There was a deafening clatter as the others just dropped their cutlery in shock; Ash's eyes went wide as he nearly choked to death on his mouthful. Misty rubbed his back to ease the pain while Tracey and Pikachu just sat there, too shocked to do or say anything. Sammy just giggled and continued eating - he was only four and couldn't care less.

When he had recovered, the dark haired Pokémon master looked at his oldest male friend with a weak smile and gasped, "_Please _tell me you're joking, Brock. You almost gave me a heart attack!" His smile faded as he saw the solemn expression on his friend's face.

Brock shook his head. "I'm totally serious. I'm gonna marry Delia."

Ash's jaw dropped. _Yikes! What on earth was going on here? First, Misty's mallet turns into a harmless toy, then I find that the Professor is literally enjoying his second childhood, then it seems I'm being stalked by two of my female friends, and now Brock wants to marry MOM! I **really** don't need this to happen….Oh boy, let's try to fix **this** up. _"Listen Brock-o, I know that I consider you to be like family to me; but don't you think that this is going a bit _too _far?" he spluttered. "This is _my mother _you're drooling over here. You can't marry her!"

Brock folded his arms, "And why not? If you're gonna bring up the age difference, it's not gonna work. Remember I once dated Professor Ivy who is the same age as Delia."

"Yeah, but this is different - you are talking about marriage here! How do you know this is right? You _do_ fall in love with nearly every single pretty girl we meet, not to mention all the Nurse Joys and Officer Jennies. How do I know that you're going to be faithful? Nobody, and I mean _nobody_ is going to marry Mom and then just dump her. Because they will have to answer to _me _first!"

"I know this is right, Ash. I've never felt this way about anyone else before! All those other girls, all the Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys - they never really meant anything to me. I've been in love with your mother the whole time - and I've only just realised it! Ahhh….Delia…what a wonderful wife she'll be…." Brock trailed off with a goofy smile.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, buddy. But she's not going to be your wife - she's already got a boyfriend, and I happen to know that they are thinking about getting married! No offence - but I _really_ don't want to introduce you to people as my step-father."

The former Pewter City Gym Leader just smiled. "Oh, but you're wrong. She _does_ love me - before you came home we had a romantic tête-á-tête in the garden. When we do get married, I promise I'll keep her safe from harm, to love her in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, 'til death do us part. I do and I will!"

His friends just sighed in frustration. "They say 'Love is Blind' - and with you I believe it," Ash muttered.

"What do _you_ know about true love, Ash!" Brock retorted.

Ash rose from the table and paused when he reached the back door. "Maybe not a lot, but I _do _know that it doesn't apply to you and Mom. I believe that true love is what Shakespeare wrote in Sonnet 116 - look that up if you like." With that he went into the garden, leaving his friends stunned. Ash referring to Shakespeare? The world was coming to an end.

An hour later, Misty looked up from a book to see Ash enter the living room. "Are you okay?"

He smiled, "Yeah, I just needed to calm down from what Brock said."

Misty grinned, "That was a shock."

"Sure was. Well, guess I'll head off to sleep now. 'To sleep; perchance to dream…", Ash frowned, "Hopefully tomorrow this _will _all be just that - a dream." He leant over and gave Misty a quick kiss on the cheek, dropping something in her lap and left the room.

Misty lifted her hand to her cheek. He had kissed her. _Ash_ had kissed her - only on the cheek, but it was still a kiss. Was she dreaming again? She pinched herself just to make sure. _Owww_. Okay, so she wasn't. She glanced down at her lap - there lay a single red rose. _How romantic_…._maybe he does care for me after all._

(_The next evening…..)_

Ash leaned back against the garden bench with a sigh. What a day…….Things had gone from bad to worse. Last night the household had been woken up by a scream coming from his mother's room. Ash had rushed in prepared for the worst, only to find his Mom backed up on the far side of the bed - with Brock sitting there drooling on the other side. After ejecting Brock and calming his mother down, Ash had assigned Blastoise and Ampharos to act as her bodyguards until further notice.

Deciding that drastic action was called for, he had dragged his breeder friend along to the local Pokémon Centre and Police Station - hoping that the sight of Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny would snap him out of his infatuation with his mother. It didn't work - Brock only babbled about Delia the whole time. Ash had even called up some of his female cousins - and told them to come over so that Brock could gawk at them. That didn't work either.

If the situation with Brock wasn't bad enough - Ash found himself regularly quoting Shakespeare, which he had never done before, and this sent the crowds of girls around his house wild. For some reason, almost every girl he had ever met had come to Pallet for the sole purpose of being with him. There was Sabrina, Florinda, Aya, Kay, Katrina, Cassandra, Melanie, Lara, Suzie, as well as Kasey and Duplica. They would all gather round his house during the day, going elsewhere in the town to sleep at night. This made any venture outside the house fraught with danger - Katrina had already grabbed him for a big kiss on the lips, and Duplica had tried to trick him by disguising herself as Misty. 

That was not all, he had noticed that there also seemed to be many Pokémon among the crowd around the house - there were too many to belong to all the girls. So Pikachu had gone out to investigate - she came back with a grin to report that many of the Pokémon were wild females. They were not here to see any of his male Pokémon. They were here to see _him_. Ash had nearly collapsed - it was bad enough that his Chikorita had a crush on him.

The Professor was creating havoc around the house as only a four year old can, making a mess and driving Mimey round the bend. Poor Mom was holed up in her room, Blastoise and Ampharos standing guard at the door as Brock was lurking around….His world had gone crazy and Ash had no idea how to fix it. 

Pikachu rested her little head on his lap, her big brown eyes brimming with sympathy over her trainer's predicament; "_Life stinks at the moment, doesn't it?"_

Ash moaned, "You got that right. Somebody stop the world, I wanna get off…"

"Get off where?" They looked up to see Misty standing there whereupon Pikachu scampered into the house to keep an eye on the errant Togetic.

"Anywhere but here will do," he replied as she sat down beside him. The gentle breeze carried the scent of her perfume to him, nearly making his head spin. Ash sneaked a peak at the girl beside him - she looked so beautiful in the moonlight, so beautiful and utterly kissable, he thought as they sat in companionable silence.

Misty was the first to break it. "You know how you mentioned Sonnet 116 last night; could you say it for me please?"

Ash was taken aback. "Uh…sure. Just give me a minute," he closed his eyes for a minute to recall the words. He then looked her straight in the eyes and began to recite; "Let me not to the marriage of true minds, Admit impediments. Love is not love, Which alters when it alteration finds. Or bends with the remover to remove: Oh no; it is an ever-fixed mark. That looks on tempests, and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark. Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks, Within his bending sickle's compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error, and upon me prov'd, I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd."

Misty found herself lost in the beauty of the words and in the delivery, his soft voice sending delightful shivers down her spine. "That's so beautiful," she breathed but then hesitated, uncertain as to whether or not she should say what was on her mind and in her heart. _Go for it_, her heart urged, _You've always wanted him, and if you don't move fast - one of those girls out there will_! She gazed at his warm dark brown eyes as she spoke; "Ash, I want you to tell me the truth. How do you really feel about me?"

He gave a nervous gulp. _Don't blow it, Ketchum_, his mind warned. "I love you," he admitted "Now how about I show you?" he said with a smile, cupping her chin in his hand. His lips met hers in a firm but gentle kiss to which Misty responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck to draw him closer. They drew apart to catch their breath before kissing again. The couple stayed that way while for a while, then walked into the house together their arms around each other. No more words were needed, the look on each other's face was enough for them to know how they felt.

__

Sniffle. Hidden in the tree branches above the bench, Puck wiped away the tears. He loved to witness such emotional moments - he had always been a softie at heart. This household was such fun to stay around - he had never had so much entertainment from the spells he had conjured up before. He thought the antics of Brock were the funniest - chasing everywhere after a frazzled and frantic Delia Ketchum. He admitted he had made a mistake with that one - he really should have looked closer at the photo before casting that spell. But that mistake had ensured he got his money's worth in entertainment - those two humans were so funny! He was glad he had come to this world, even if by accident - and he was in no hurry to go home.

Unbeknownst to Puck, something was happening in the woods outside Pallet. A brilliant white light shone for a moment then blinked out. A tiny figure with wings gracefully landed on a tree stump. Calliope stretched her arms out as she gazed around her. She was one of Queen Titania's best friends and most trusted assistants in the fairy kingdom, she was on a mission - to bring back Puck. His cousin had helped with the spell that Puck had chanted before disappearing, now all she had to do was find him. She brushed back her chestnut tresses - the first place to look would be where any humans lived. It was common knowledge among the fairies and elves that Puck loved to toy with the mortals. Gaining the directions from an Eevee, she flew off towards the town and landed on a flower in someone's garden. What Calliope didn't know was that Puck had left this very garden a few minutes ago to head to his temporary home in the woods for the night.

Callie made sure she was invisible to the human eye before flying through an open window to investigate. She found herself in someone's bedroom when the adjoining door to the room opened. The fairy turned to look - and got an eyeful. Ash had just come out of the shower, his bare muscled chest glistening. Callie blushed, she thought her heart would burst right then and there. He was the handsomest human she had ever seen! She perched herself on his dresser, content to watch him for a while. When she was sure he was asleep, she flew over to near his face, placing a dainty kiss on his cheek. _What a pity that fairies and mortals can't have relationships,_ she thought with great regret. _If we could - I'd never let this one go_! She sighed - then flew off.

The sun rose the next morning over the rooftops of Pallet, as a Pidgeotto cooed good morning from the nearby tree. Ash slowly opened his eyes to see……

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

__

To be continued…

Author's Note: Told you there would be fun and games. This is a slightly insane fic - that shouldn't be taken too seriously. I think this chapter had the works - fluff, mush, magic, mayhem, romantic triangles, AAMRN. So just what will happen? I'm not telling you….

****

Silver Dragon Phoenix - if you are out there - please e-mail me 'coz I can't contact you otherwise (your e-mail bounced)


	4. All's Well That Ends Well

__

Midsummer Madness

By Trish.

Disclaimer: The only thing that I own is this story and Calliope. Enough said.

__

A/N: I've said this before - and I'll say it again. You MUST _read the chapters in the order they were written - otherwise this will not make sense._

Chapter 4:_ All's well that ends well…._

Ash's scream woke the other occupants in the house, and brought them running. Delia was worried - was her little 'baby boy' hurt or in danger? Brock went to shove the door open, when Ash's voice stopped him; "Don't come in guys, it's okay, I'm okay," he said hastily. 

Brock wasn't convinced, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," came the muffled response.

"Then what was that scream for?" Misty yelled out in exasperation - she was _not_ a morning person and did not appreciate leaping straight out of bed.

"Pikachu just zapped me awake with a Thunder Shock - nothing serious."

As soon as the footsteps died away, Pikachu glared at her master, "_Liar."_

Ash looked rather sheepish. "I know, I know. But what else was I supposed to say? The truth?" He reached over and picked up the phone next to his bed. "I have to call someone…"

__

Ring, Ring, Ring! Ring, Ring, Ring! Phone Call! Phone Call!

James stumbled sleepily to the phone in the hallway. Jessie was still sleeping the sleep of the dead, Meowth wasn't up so it was left to him to answer. He fumbled for the phone and yawned into it, "Morning, Prepare for trouble….you know the rest, James speaking."

"James! Just the person I wanted to speak to. It's Ash here," came a familiar voice.

James blinked, then switched on the visuals. The familiar face of his former nemesis-turned-friend and Pokémon Master flashed onto the screen. "Morning Ash, what did you want to speak to me about?", he asked his boss. Ever since they had quit Team Rocket years ago, Jessie, James and Meowth had made amends with the twerps, becoming best friends. When Ash became Grand Master he was able to find them employment. Jessie was Ash's personal agent and manager while James took care of the public relations side. It was an excellent decision - the two had found their true calling in life - and were extremely successful. Meowth was happy too - he was now the "Top Cat" of the Grand Master (even though Ash had a baby Mew as well) living the contented life of a domesticated puss. He switched between living at Jessie and James's and Ash's place. He enjoyed it at the Ketchums - Delia spoiled him with numerous saucers of milk and cream, as well as providing many balls of yarn for him to play with. Once there he would team up with Pikachu and the two unlikely partners in crime would get into twice the mischief.

"I want you, Jessie and Meowth to please come over here _immediately_."

"Sure."

"Oh, and bring some women's clothes too, if you don't mind."

James blinked again. Did he just hear right? Women's clothes? Why couldn't Ash just borrow them from his mother or Misty? Or could it be that…..there _was_ that time when they helped to pass the twerp off as 'Ashley'. He had looked very convincing - and James would know as he was an expert in that area. Surely his friend didn't lean in that direction…or maybe he had finally realised…..

"No, James. _No_," Ash's firm voice interrupted his train of thoughts.

"No what?" James tried to feign innocence. It didn't work.

Ash glared at him, "Don't try to fool me. I know what you're thinking, so _don't_ even think it! It's not that!"

"Then what is it?"

"You'll find out soon enough," came the enigmatic reply.

"But Assssssssssh," whined James, his curiosity piqued.

"Just do it," the dark haired trainer ordered softly. James just nodded - that was the only thing to do when Ash used his 'no nonsense and I won't take no for an answer' type of voice. "See you then," then clicked off. James stood there for a moment then went to wake his wife up.

Ash hung up the phone and stared in disbelief at the end of his bed. It must be either a dream or an hallucination, he decided. A hallucination induced by what he did not know - he had never taken drugs, and he was positive that he hadn't touched any alcohol last night. There was only one thing to do…

"Pik," he murmured to his little electric mouse. "Could you please give me a tiny jolt?"

"_Sure_." The tiny mouse placed her paw on his arm and shot a few volts into him. Ash shook his head and blinked. Nope - still there.

There was…a woman sitting on the end of his bed. A very beautiful, sexy, young woman with long chestnut hair, whom he had never seen before in his life - yet here she was…sitting on the end of his bed. But whoever she was, she was perfect, with a perfect figure with curves in all the right places. What Ash couldn't help but notice was the outfit she wore. Her dress was made of a flowing rather transparent material in the palest of blues, which clung to her body and left little to the imagination. He was just grateful that Brock had not barged into the room when he had yelled out - the situation would have been _very _hard to explain to the others, especially Misty - considering he had just his boxers on, and the girl wasn't exactly decent.

"Pikachu, you see that girl on the end of my bed, don't you?" The mouse nodded. "She's real isn't she? Or is she just a vision that we're both seeing?"

Before Pikachu could answer, the 'vision' rose from her end of the bed and sat next to him. She gazed into his eyes before pressing her lips to his in a soft sweet kiss. _She's real all right_, his dazed mind told him before he snapped out of it .

"Who are you? What are you doing in my room?" he whispered.

She smiled, "My name is Calliope, but my friends call me Callie. I'm here to ask you for help."

Ash nodded and got out of the bed. "So….you want my help…But how on earth did you get in?"

Callie indicated the partially open window. "Through there."

His jaw dropped, the window's opening wasn't even wide enough for Pikachu to squeeze through! Not knowing what else to say, he pulled on a black t-shirt and was about to pull down his boxers when he remembered just who else was in the room with him. Ash went red before grabbing the rest of his clothes and rushed into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Pikachu chuckled and waddled over to Callie for a pat.

A few minutes later, Ash exited the bathroom, fully dressed in his t-shirt and jeans. He gave Callie a weak smile, "Umm, I've just got to do a few things first - like get you some clothes, but I'll be back - so don't go away." As soon as he closed the door behind him, he looked at Pikachu, "Pikachu, don't let anyone else come into this room okay? Otherwise we're sunk." He went downstairs to wait.

Jessie, James and Meowth were negotiating their way through the milling crowds of girls and Pokémon around the Ketchum residence. 

"Wonder what's goin' on here?" Meowth piped up.

Jessie shrugged, "I have no idea - but they must be after Mr. Pokémon Master in there."

"Yeah, but what are all dese female Pokémon doin' here too?"

They reached the house and James was just about to press the buzzer when the door suddenly opened. A slender green vine snaked out and grabbed the trio around their waist, before yanking them inside. They landed on their bottoms with a thump as someone shut the door behind them. They looked around to see the Pokémon Grand Master standing there, with Bulbasaur at his side. "Hi guys," he greeted with a smirk as Bulbasaur retracted his vine into his bulb. "Did you bring the…."

James held up the bag. Ash nodded in satisfaction, "Good." He shepherded the trio into the living room where they all sat down, Meowth curling up on Ash's lap. They were soon joined by Misty, Delia, Brock and a little kid that the former Team Rocket had never seen before.

"Could someone please tell us what is going on here? Is there something wrong?" James inquired.

Ash gave a wry smile, "Something wrong? You could say that….Things have gone really crazy around here - and I don't know what to do about it." He indicated the young boy eating a lollipop, "Believe it or not that is the world renowned researcher Professor Oak. He was eighty-two, but now he's four years old. Then there's Brock here. Brock is convinced that my mother is the only one for him, and wants to marry her. Mom doesn't feel the same way - so Brock has been following her all over the place, with Mom trying to get away from him. And I have found myself often reciting entire passages from the works of a long dead English playwright."

The former Rocket trio's eyes were as wide as saucers. They didn't know whether to believe him - but one look at his face told them that he was serious. He held his hand up, "There's more. Suddenly I'm the hottest guy around - and all those girls outside want me. As a result I have found it very hard to leave the house the past few days."

"What about dose female Pokémon? What are dey there for?" Meowth interrupted from his lap.

Ash hesitated before answering, "They're after me too."

"Whaaaaa?"

"Don't even ask."

"Okay, I won't."

Ash deposited the cat Pokémon off his lap and stood up. "Now if you'll excuse us, James & I have something very important to discuss….with Pikachu." And with that he dragged James from the room and up the stairs, before the others could say another word.

He finally stopped outside his room, where Pikachu was still on guard - with a bottle of ketchup her only companion. James picked himself up off the floor and dusted himself down, the bag resting against his feet.

"Now, open the door a bit and tell me what you see," the younger man instructed.

James did as he was told, and withdrew looking a little shocked. "I see a beautiful young woman on your bed."

"Yes….but what do you notice about that young woman?"

"I see a beautiful young woman with not much on, sitting on your bed?"

"Exactly. That is why I wanted you to bring the clothes."

Aha. James now knew why Ash was being so secretive. A hot summer's night, a young handsome bachelor, a beautiful young woman with a revealing outfit, alone in a bedroom…..It all added up. He poked his friend gently in the ribs, "_Well _now, _I_ think you had some _fun_ last night. Where did you meet her? What was she like in…." The last word was muffled by Ash's hand being clamped over his mouth.

"Shut up James!" he hissed. "And the answer to your question is - _nothing happened_! I've no idea where she came from or who she really is - I only know her name. I just woke up this morning and there she was….on the end of my bed." The trainer could see that James didn't believe him one little bit. He sighed in frustration, "If you don't believe me, ask Pikachu. She was in the room the whole night."

The electric rodent nodded, "_Nothing happened, James. I do have ears you know, so I would have heard them if they had …you know."_

James knew that what Pikachu said was the truth, he also knew that Ash had a knack for having strange things happen to him, so he slowly nodded. "But if Pikachu can prove your innocence, why didn't you ask your Mom or Misty for the clothes?"

The Pokémon Master stared at him, "Are you NUTS! As if I'd really want to go up to my new girlfriend of less than twenty-four hours and say; 'Hey, Misty! There's a half naked woman in my room. Can I borrow some of your clothes?' Same thing with my Mom. Pikachu would be no use - as they would killme _first_ then ask the questions _later_!"

James laughed rather sheepishly, "I see what you mean. Silly me."

"If I had done that, you'd be attending my funeral right now."

James scratched his head. "Guess so. But why did you ask _me_ for help? What about Brock or Tracey?"

Ash sighed. "They are my best friends, but in anything to do with women they are completely useless. Brock just drools while Tracey sketches. You, on the other hand, don't do anything like that….you just like wearing dresses from time to time."

They entered the room to see Callie still sitting on the bed and reading a book. Ash did the introductions, "Callie, this is my friend James. James, this is Calliope or Callie."

James waved and Callie returned it.

The two men and Pikachu settled themselves down as Callie began her story. "As you know, my name is Calliope and I am an entrusted friend of Queen Titania. I've come to ask your help in finding an associate of ours, by the name of Puck."

"Excuse me. But who is Queen Titania and Puck?" James asked politely.

"They are like me," Callie answered disappearing in a glow of blinding light. When the men's eyesight had recovered they saw a miniature version of her, only this time with wings which fluttered as she hovered in front of them. "We are fairies, and Titania is the ruler of our kingdom."

James felt his head begin to spin. This was becoming too much for him to deal with this early in the day. First was Ash's startling revelations and now he was seeing young women turn into little fairies. He started to get up, "I think….I'll just wait downstairs" he muttered until he was yanked back down by Ash.

"Oh _no_ you don't. You are staying _right_ _here_, buddy, as a third witness. You're my protection if the others decide to send the men in white coats after me," the younger man said firmly.

"Okay," James said in a meek voice. He wasn't about to argue with him. He had always been the more passive member of Team Rocket - he would rather follow than lead. Things were no different for him now.

"As I was saying," Calliope continued, "Puck came to your world from ours a few days ago. We believe he is likely to be in the vicinity of any humans - as he is known for playing tricks and casting spells on you mortals."

The two humans and Pokémon exchanged a look at this information. "Well, I think you may have found the right place," Ash spoke up. "There have been plenty of crazy things happening around here - and it all started only a few days ago."

Callie listened closely as Ash filled her in on the events of the past few days. "Sounds like Puck's work to me," she commented when he had finished.

"Let's tell the others the news," James suggested hopping onto his feet. 

But Ash held up a hand, "Wait a minute! Before we do - I think it would be better if Callie first met the others in human form." 

Callie disappeared once more in a flash of light and stood before them in the form that they first knew her. "Um, Callie - we brought you some clothes to wear, 'coz you can't go downstairs looking …like.. that…" Ash stated in an embarrassed tone of voice. Both men were trying _very_ hard not to look at her body, or to see anything they shouldn't. The girl took the bag off them and went into the bathroom, reappearing in a blue t-shirt and a short black skirt.

"That better?" she asked them twirling around for their approval.

"Much," both men said with a sigh of relief.

James and Pikachu left the room first, Callie started to follow but was halted by Ash's hand on her arm. "Callie, why did you kiss me earlier?" he asked quietly.

"Because I really _like_ you, Ash. I love you. I knew it since I saw you come out of the shower last night" She giggled at the shocked expression on his face- but then sobered up. "Don't worry, I'm not going to seduce you or steal you away from your girlfriend. There's no hope for a relationship between a fairy and a mortal. But if I was to become a mortal - you'd better watch out!"

Ash gave her a warm smile. "That's good to know you're not after me. I don't think I could handle any more chasing after me. Friends?" He held out his hand.

"Friends," she agreed as they shook on it.

"To tell you the truth though," Ash said with a twinkle in his eyes, "If I had never met and fell for Misty, this morning might have turned out quite different!"

Callie blushed as they walked down the stairs together to where James and Pikachu were waiting.

(_Evening..)_

Ash was grateful that his mother and his friends had accepted without question the explanation for the recent events. Though Callie's transformation probably had something to do with their decision as well. The whole household was lying in wait for Puck to make an appearance. Calliope's magic was far more powerful than Puck's so she had cast spells that would trap him inside the house. The bait was to be Mom and Brock. Ash had recalled Blastoise and Ampharos after Delia had cautiously agreed to let Brock go near her again. Right now they were sitting on the living room couch, Delia fighting her instinct to run as Brock gazed at her in adoration while gushing out every romantic cliché and saying that he could think of.

The rest were spread around the house. The Professor was playing on the floor with Pikachu and Chikorita, Jessie, James, Meowth and Tracey were playing poker at the dining room table, Callie had flown to the top of the bookcase while Ash and Misty were sitting on the stairs.

Ash had his arm around Misty who was snuggled up next to him. "Comfortable?" he murmured into her ear.

She nodded, then gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "I love you."

He pulled her closer, "Love you too, Mist." There was a slight pause, "What do you think about Callie?"

The water trainer thought for a minute, "She's really nice, I like her. And she's so gorgeous it's not fair."

A devilish grin came across Ash's face. "Y'know, I don't think I've ever seen anyone as beautiful as Callie," he mused.

Misty's head snapped up as she looked at her boyfriend. He wasn't serious was he? But then why did he have a such a faraway look in his eyes as if…as if he was thinking of someone else? Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Not only is she beautiful, but she is kind and caring, even-tempered too," Ash continued, oblivious to Misty's glares. "I bet _she _wouldn't hit me with a mallet."

Misty grabbed his face so that their foreheads were touching, "Don't even think about dumping me Ash Ketchum," she warned. "You're _my_ boyfriend - and don't you forget it!"

The dark haired trainer stared at her - then gave a little chuckle. "I know that - and Callie knows that as well. I'm just having you on….the look on your face was priceless!"

Misty looked like she was about to explode until Ash silenced her with a passionate kiss. 

Half an hour later, a tiny figure flew in through the living room windows. Puck was here for another night's entertainment. He rubbed his hands with glee when he saw Delia and Brock on the couch. Those were his two favourite people - they were so funny together! He was always chasing after her, and she was always trying to get away from him. He peered closer - Delia wasn't moving away from Brock this time, maybe she really _did_ love him. He turned around to try to find a good spot to watch from when….

__

Pop! Suddenly Puck found himself encased in a large bubble. He looked around to see…"Calliope!" he gasped at the fairy who now hovered in front of him.

Callie smiled, "So Puck, we finally found you - it's time to go home now."

The sprite slumped in his magic prison, he noticed the room was beginning to fill - with the people he had been toying with for the past few days. They all stared at him until Ash spoke up, "Why did you do this?"

"I wanted to have a little fun with you humans," Puck said in a mournful voice. "I also tried to help some of you. I tried to let Misty get what she really wanted by granting her every wish. I protected you from her mallet, and I wanted Brock to find someone who wouldn't reject him. I admit I _did_ mess that one up - but it was _so_ funny to see!"

"I think you may have messed something else up," Ash muttered. "Did you set all those girls on me?" He got a nod from the sprite. "So how come there were female _Pokémon_ after me too?"

Puck went pale. "Oh dear," he muttered, "that one too. I should have said female _humans_ in the spell, not just females. Sorry about that…."

"So you should be. Have you any idea how _humiliating_ that has been?"

"But what about Professor Oak?" Tracey interrupted, pointing to the small boy on the floor.

"That wasn't me!" Puck protested. "Maybe I did all the other things, but I never cast a spell on him."

"Then who did?" Callie questioned her fellow sprite.

Misty raised her hand sheepishly, "I…think it was me." She went red as everyone looked at her. "Puck just said that he made it so that my every wish was granted, right? Well…I remember that I wished to know what the Professor looked like as a little kid."

"I get it now," Tracey exclaimed. "Whatever Misty wished for, it happened! Is that what happened with Ash and his fixation with Shakespeare as well?"

Puck nodded. "Must be, as I didn't do it."

Ash gazed at the fairy in the bubble. "If you don't mind me asking - why Shakespeare?"

Puck gave a little shrug, "I guess it's because that was the book that she tried to knock you out with."

Callie decided that it was time to bring things to a close. "It's time we left, Puck. But before we do - let's fix things up."

She took a deep breath and chanted, "Spirits of the Earth and of the Sun. Grant me this wish - that the spells cast here shall now be undone." Streams of sparkles came from her hand and spread right through the house to the outside air. The group watched in fascination as Professor Oak grew back into the eighty-two year old man they all knew. Brock shook his head a few times before he noticed that he was holding Delia's hand tightly. He turned bright red and let go, "I'm….I'm sorry, Mrs. K," he stuttered with embarrassment. The breeder then saw Calliope, going even redder. "_Oh wow…_," he sighed.

Misty cheered, "Brock's back!" Ash just gave his mother a thumbs up. Then Pikachu pointed to the front of the house - the Pokémon were starting to leave!

Things were getting back to normal. "Now we really _must_ go," Callie told the happy group of people.

"You're not going to punish Puck too much are you?" Ash asked.

Misty smiled in agreement, "He _did_ do _something_ right after all - I _have_ got what I really wanted" and with that she wrapped her arms around Ash's waist.

Puck's little face brightened. "Really? That's wonderful!" he cheered. "Thanks!"

"Thanks to _you_ too, Callie" Ash remembered to add.

The fairy smiled. "It was a pleasure to help. For you - any time. If you need any help just call my name." She winked at the Pokémon Master as white light filled the room, blinding in its intensity. When their eyesight had returned, the sprites were gone.

Professor stared at the spot where they had been, then looked down at his hand. "What on earth am I doing with this lollipop?" he asked in bewilderment.

Delia grinned, "Perhaps you were satisfying your inner child, Professor?" The world renowned researcher could not understand why everyone burst out laughing at that.

The next day dawned clear and bright. Ash stood at the front of the house with Pikachu and looked around with satisfaction. The Pokémon and girls were now on their way back to their respective homes - now he could go out without being mauled. Everything was back to normal as he could well testify. Misty had used her mallet successfully against him last night. Only this time, she apologised to him for hitting him so hard and they had patched up their quarrel with a kiss.

"Hey Ash!" He was broken out of his reverie by the sight of his former rival Gary Oak making his way towards him. The two had patched up their friendship many years ago, just before Ash had gained the top title.

"Hi Gary," he called back as the trainer came up to him.

"Anything interesting happen while I was away?"

Ash smiled, "Come in for lunch, because do I have a story for you!"

The two friends went to enter the house. Ash paused for one last look outside. While he did have a great story to tell his friend, he was glad things were back to normal. He wouldn't have it any other way.

__

The End.

_Author's Note: There you have it - my first and maybe my last series! Mewberries - you asked for a happier romance fic - I hope I delivered ^_^ . Keep on writing everyone! Bye for now. Exit author stage left._


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